What was the most powerful weapon in the middle ages? Broadswords? Crossbows? Catapults? Rotting Corpses? Close but what if I said that the correct answer was Castles! I mean think about it, they had all kinds of secret weapons hidden within their walls, and on more than one occasion they were used in overt acts of aggression and conquest. On Tuesday we will be opening our discussion of medieval architecture by exploring these mysterious stone wonders. Something Else to think about, in our current society there is an growing obsession with getting back to the wild, becoming self sufficient, and free of restrictions, to many Americans the great-outdoors = freedom. However in the middle ages people were clamoring to be inside the walls of the city, not for fear of destruction at the hands of some barbaric tribe, but in search of economic and personal freedom. Overtime, these walled villages/cities would then become the some of the greatest in the world, therefore on Wednesday we will be analyzing the link between the city and freedom, in Medieval Europe.

Finally, when the Roman Empire's power began to recede (BAM! VOW USAGE!) many people looked for the next strongest thing for protection and found it with the Christian (read: Catholic, because remember at this time there was only one form of Christianity in Europe) Church, this allowed the Church to gain both wealth (land & cash money) and Power (followers & wealth) and no where else was this evident then in the design of many medieval Cathedrals, whose grandiose arches and stained glass windows brought people in from all over and offered them escape from the suffering of their current life and demonstrated the strength in the Church. So on Thursday our question will be "How does the architecture of Cathedrals & Monasteries reflect the power and influence of the Catholic Church?"

But what of Friday you ask? well that's a surprise, and no I will not tell you. However I will say this... leave a comment below and get some extra credit. just sign in with your name (first only & period) and tell me what you are most excited about this week.

Important Stuff we did in ClassMonday: NO SCHOOL!Tuesday: Castle Notes (NB)Wednesday: Journal Response: You are a Knight storming/defending a castle. what perils would you face? What would battle be like? Compose a vivid account of your experience.